
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 









































Class TZ 3 
Book 

Copyright N?__ SVy 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 











The 


Shepherd of the East 



* V 

By Rev. L. Greene 

ft 



> 



BOSTON 

THE ROXBURGH PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. 



Copyrighted, 1923 

By The Roxburgh Publishing Company 
All Rights Reserved 


DEC 13 /923 

© Cl A 7 6 6 411 

'Kb . / - 


The Shepherd of the East 


“ God doth not need 


Either man’s work or his own gifts. Who best 
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state 
Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed, 

And post o’er land and ocean without rest; 

They also serve who only stand and wait.” 


— Milton. 


CHAPTER ONE 


I N the very heart of the Palestinian hills, 
some fifteen miles southeast of Beth¬ 
lehem, is a delightful fertile plain which 
the Infinite Creator scooped out from the 
rugged hills and watered by the numerous 
streams which flow down from the rocky 
walls which surround it. It is a refreshing 
surprise to the weary and overburdened 
traveller, after climbing the precarious hills 
for many a tired day, suddenly to enter into 
this green valley of “ Eden ” covered with 
abundant vegetation. 

From the earliest days of Palestinian habi¬ 
tation this valley has been a coveted posses¬ 
sion for shepherds. In the days of Augustus 



6 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


Cassar it was in the hands of a rich shepherd- 
merchant, David ben Saul by name. David 
was a middle-aged man of about fifty sum¬ 
mers, tall and w T ell built; his tan features, 
what were not hidden by a tropical growth 
of white beard, gave testimony to his con¬ 
tinued open-air life under the blazing eastern 
sun. His finely chiseled head was matched 
only by the ruggedness of the surrounding 
hills. There was something attractive about 
him which made one feel perfectly at home 
in his presence. The gentle manner of his 
speech, coupled with his massive frame, gave 
one the sense of security. He carried him¬ 
self with a distinct patriarchal suggestion 
which at once commanded respect and ad¬ 
miration. Religiously he was a devout 
“ Father in Israel.” He was well versed 
in the Scriptures and used to spend many 
hours in the Temple discussing profound re- 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


7 


ligious themes with the Doctors of Divinity. 
So thorough was his knowledge of the Scrip¬ 
tures and so great was the respect which the 
learned Rabbis had for his devout life, that 
when he arose to speak, the babel of voices 
hushed instantly, as if by magic, and the 
Rabbis strained to catch every word he spoke. 
Such a devout life as this was naturally 
sensitive to the looseness of Israel’s religious 
devotion. He grieved at the Hellenizing in¬ 
fluence which was making fast progress 
among the Jews; he mourned for their loss 
of faith, and prayed daily for their national 
redemption. 

David was happily blessed with two sons, 
John and Ezra. Both lads grew up to be 
stalwart and fearless mountain shepherds. 
They were as rugged as the hills around 
them, yet as gentle as the sheep they tended. 
The paramount reason for this retired life of 


8 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


David and his sons was religions. David 
himself wanted to he the moral and religious 
instructor of his sons. He wanted them to 
grow up with God above them and with 
nature around them; he wanted them to be 
unpolluted with the Greek philosophy and 
the Roman frivolity. During the long quiet 
evenings he taught them Moses and the 
Prophets; he burned into their receptive 
minds the grand and unequalled history of 
their race and the passion of being worthy 
to see the Christ. At each feast and fast 
day David and his sons journeyed to Jeru¬ 
salem to keep the holiday. But each visit to 
Jerusalem only increased their anger against 
the pomp and show of Israel’s life and the 
longing for their redemption. 

It must be added here that David found 
in Jerusalem at least one man of like faith 
and aspirations, Simeon by name. Never did 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


9 


the patriarch shepherd visit Jerusalem with¬ 
out spending much time with Simeon. Then 
both men studied together and comforted 
each other concerning the coming of the 
Christ. It so happened that one day, as 
David was taking leave after such a visit, 
Simeon prayed him to linger a moment 
longer. He called in a lad named Judith, 
scarcely six summers old, clear-eyed and 
comely, and besought David to take him 
along with him and to rear him on an equal¬ 
ity with his sons and in the faith of Israel. 

'V ^ 

David was exceedingly reluctant, but Simeon 
acquainted him how Judith was left in his care 
by the dying mother, and how she entreated 
him to bring him up in the fear of God and 
the love of the Christ; how it was impos¬ 
sible to do so perfectly in Jerusalem; and 
above all, how the lad was dedicated by his 
mother for the service of the Christ. After 


10 THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 

much entreating, the venerable shepherd was 
persuaded and took the lad Judith with him 
to rear him as a shepherd and as a man of 
God. 

So twenty summers sped by and Judith 
found his place with the sons of David as a 
strong and fearless mountain shepherd. And 
the three lads grew to manhood. But what 
a vast world they lived in! They knew the 
stars and named them and greeted them as 
they appeared in the evening sky as one 
greets an acquaintance. They knew every 
hill and valley in that labyrinth of granite. 
They knew every stream and its course. They 
named each sheep and knew it by touch. 
They loved the rugged mountains and the 
quiet running streams; so the mountains 
rewarded them with physical and moral 
strength, and the streams with gentle and 
quiet confidence. 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


11 


Because of the character of the shepherds 
they were awarded each year, by the Temple 
priests, the honorable task of providing the 
sacrificial sheep for the Passover. Great 
care was taken by the shepherds in the selec¬ 
tion and raising of these sheep. The custom 
grew up for each shepherd to take turns each 
year in selecting and raising the sacrificial 
sheep. Now it so chanced that the care and 
raising of the sacrificial sheep, in the memo¬ 
rable year in which our story begins, fell to 
Judith, the youngest of the shepherds. 

“ Hast thou taken care of the sacrificial 
sheep, Judith? ” asked David. 

11 I have, Father,” replied the lad, looking 
up into David*s face. 

“ That is well, my lad,” replied the ven¬ 
erable man. “ Judith, thou art a faithful 
shepherd, and now let us go and eat the eve¬ 
ning meal, for thou must be hungry.” 


12 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


The two men walked together to the tent 
where John was busily preparing the evening 
feast. The sun had already set far beyond 
the western ragged mountains, drawing a 
scarlet curtain over the soft blue sky, as the 
shepherds sat down in a small circle to eat 
of the evening provisions. Presently all 
heads were bowed in reverence as David re¬ 
turned thanks to Jehovah: “ Blessed be 
Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob, who hath caused the earth to yield 
her increase so as to give seed to the sower 
and bread to the eater. Amen.” 

“ Father,” asked John, after the men had 
eaten in silence a few moments, “ dost thou 
really believe that Jehovah wull shortly re¬ 
deem Israel? ” 

“ My sons,” replied David, “ I verily do 
believe it. The sons of Israel are oppressed 
most cruelly by those Roman soldiers. Our 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


13 


Temple is desecrated, onr priests dishonored, 
and ‘ the daughter of Zion is left as a cot¬ 
tage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden 
of cucumbers, as a besieged city/ as the 
Prophet saith. Truly, Rachel is weeping for 
her children.” 

‘ ‘ Why dost thou believe that our salvation 
draweth nigh? ” asked Judith. 

“ The salvation of Israel, Judith, is in the 
Christ, and I verily do believe that he will 
appear soon.” 

“ But why dost thou believe so? ” per¬ 
sisted Judith. 

“ I will tell thee,” answered David. 11 On 
my way over to Jerusalem the other day I 
desired to spend an evening at Bethlehem, 
but I found the city filled with visitors, and 
more were coming in from all the ends of the 
earth, it seemed. All the inns were filled, 
and I could not find lodgement anywhere. So 


14 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


I decided to journey to Jerusalem. Arriving 
in Jerusalem I visited my friend Simeon, who 
constrained me to spend the night with him. 
I accepted his hospitality. Said he to me, 
‘ Dost thou know, friend David, that the sal¬ 
vation of Israel draweth nigh? ’ 4 May God 
grant it,’ was my only answer. 4 Come,’ 
said he to me, 4 thou art learned in the 
Prophets, let us together search the Prophets 
and see if the time is not at hand, for I be¬ 
lieve that the time has come.’ So together 
we studied the Law and the Prophets nearly 
all night. And ye know, my sons, that 
Simeon is a man of God, and he prophesied, 
saying that within a few days he will be 
gathered to his fathers, but that he will see 
the Christ before he dies.” 

A profound silence followed this account 
of David’s visit. 

44 Why dost thou not eat, Judith? ” asked 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


15 


David; 4 ‘ thou hast not eaten more than one 
morsel of bread. Art thou not well? ” 

“ Yea, Father, I am well,’’ replied Judith, 
1 ‘ but I was only thinking — . ” 

“ Thinking of what? ” inquired David. 

“ I will tell thee, Father,” answered Ju¬ 
dith. “ I have cherished all my life the 
blessing of seeing the Christ when He ap¬ 
pears. I want to follow Him, I want to serve 
Him. I am deeply moved by the prophecy 
of Simeon. Father,” added Judith, hesi¬ 
tatingly, as he arose, “ I have worked for 
thee faithfully for nigh to twenty years. I 
have a burning passion to see the Christ and 
to be with Him. I, too, feel that He will 
appear soon — to-night, perhaps to-morrow. 
I had a strange dream last night. I dreamed 
that the Christ appeared, and all the ends of 
the earth came unto Him. Thou and John 
and Ezra were with Him, but I could not go. 


16 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


I was bound to these mountains and could not 
break loose. The Christ lingered for some 
time and beckoned to me to follow Him, and 
I reached out my hands in a vain effort to 
serve Him, but I could not break loose from 
my bonds. Farther and farther He receded, 
and more violently I struggled to free my¬ 
self from these bonds, but I could not. At 
last my bonds fell and I hastened forth to 
meet Him, but He was gone; I was too late. 
All day long I pondered over this dream and 
what it may mean; it has troubled me. So I 
am anxious to leave at once, for fear that 
I may be too late.” 

“ Dost thou mean thou wilt walk to Jeru¬ 
salem? ” asked David, with a troubled look 
in his eyes. 

“ Yea, Father, for I confess I fear my 
dream.” 

“ Thou mayest go, Judith, and may Je- 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


17 


kovah go with thee and grant thee thy 
heart*s desire. When wilt thou go ? ’* 

“ To-morrow morning.” 

As Judith lay that night before his tent 
door he felt that the world had a new blessing 
for him. The very stars seemed to shine 
brighter, the black mountains were like sen¬ 
tinels beckoning him on to the fulfillment of 
his hopes. He had already travelled to Jeru¬ 
salem, in his thoughts, and mingled with men 
of like faith who were following the Christ. 
He heaved a sigh of unalloyed joy that comes 
from long-cherished anticipations that are 
about to be realized. He gazed at the moon; 
how bright it w T as to-night, he thought. Sud¬ 
denly, a black cloud passed under it, envel¬ 
oping it in darkness. He thought of his 
dream; a sickening sensation overcame him. 


18 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


CHAPTER TWO 


U NDER the vast expanse of God’s heavens, 
illumed by myriads of heavenly can¬ 
dles, lay, on a soft green carpet, four 
mountain shepherds. Judith’s slumber was 
intermittent; now he was awakened by a 
sense of joy, now by a sort of indefinable, 
dark foreboding of impending disappoint¬ 
ment. 

“ Ezra, why art thou so restless? ” asked 
his brother, after both young men had vainly 
attempted to force their eyes to slumber. 

“ I do not know, John, but I have been 
thinking over Father’s words concerning the 
coming of the Christ, and my mind is full of 
anticipations. I can think of nothing but of 



THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


19 


His glorious appearance and of His redemp¬ 
tion. There is no sleep in me to-night.” 

“ Dost thou, too, believe that the coming 
of the Christ draweth nigh ? ’ ’ 

“ I verily do, John. Thou knowest that 
Simeon is a prophet of the Lord, and doubt¬ 
less his prophecy is but the revelation from 
Jehovah. I, too, wish that I might go to 
Jerusalem with Judith.” 

“ I agree with thee, Ezra, but is not this 
a strange night? ” he said, looking about 
him. 

“ How brilliantly lighted the stars are to¬ 
night,” added Ezra, gazing up into the sky. 
“ I have an indescribable feeling akin to awe 
that something unusual will occur to-night. 
But what causes thy face to flush so, John ? ’ ’ 
he continued, looking into his brother’s face. 

“ I do not know, Ezra, but my blood is all 
aglow. I feel that this is a Holy Night; that 


20 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


the very atmosphere is alive with heavenly 
visitors. ’ ’ 

“ Hush, John, do not speak so loud or 
thou wilt awaken Father; see how restless 
he is now.” 

They were like men who were suddenly 
transported into another land, — a land of 
angels and spirits, a land of expectations and 
revelations, a land where visions are born 
and where seers are created. So they felt 
they were living in a new world. By this 
time both men sat up and stared vacantly 
around. 

“ This is a strange night, John,” said 
Ezra, not knowing what to say. 

“ A Holy Night,” corrected John. 

“ Ezra, dost thou hear? ” nervously whis¬ 
pered John, grasping his brother’s arm and 
drawing closer to him. “ What does it 
mean? ” 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


21 


“ It seemeth to me like singing afar off,” 
replied John, with a quiver in his voice. 

It appeared as though the mountains 
around them were suddenly given the power 
of voice and were giving forth harmony of 
majestic beauty. The men looked at each 
other in blank amazement and tried to pierce 
through the darkness. By this time all the 
shepherds were fully awake and stared at 
each other like men who were listening to 
holy music that they were unworthy to hear. 
Nothing like this had ever happened before 
since the foundation of the Universe. Then, 
without a moment’s warning, occurred the 
most wonderful phenomenon, of which a de¬ 
scription would be only an unworthy intru¬ 
sion. These four shepherds were peculiarly 
blessed. Who will say that David was not 
repaid for his scruples in bringing up his 
sons ? Here in the heart of the mountains of 


22 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


Judea, miles from any city or town, these 
shepherds had prayed and hoped for the 
coming of the World’s Redeemer, and now 
their prayers were about to be answered. 
For to this group came the first public mes¬ 
sage of the birth of the Christ. Grander and 
sweeter came the joyous music. Every star 
in the sky was suddenly transformed into an 
angel. Nearer and nearer came this heav¬ 
enly body. Fear seized upon the shepherds 
as they huddled together. At length John 
gathered courage and asked, “ Father, what 
can this mean? ” 

“ I am at a loss to know, my sons,” re¬ 
plied David, “ unless it be the great and 
terrible Judgment Day of Jehovah.” 

Still nearer came the heavenly visitors, 
until it seemed as though they were resting 
on the ground. The entire place was aglow 
as with the light of noonday. At length the 
foremost of the angels spoke: 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


23 


li Be not afraid, for I bring unto you good 
tidings of great joy which shall be unto all 
people; for unto you is born this day, in the 
city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the 
Lord. And this is the sign unto you: ye 
shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling 
clothes, and lying in a manger / 9 

Instantly a multitude of angels surrounded 
the speaker and raised their voices in the 
grandest anthem ever heard or sung since the 
foundation of the earth: 

Glory to God in the highest, 

And on earth peace 

Among men in whom He is well pleased. 

When the last strain died in the air, the 
heavenly visitors vanished out of sight as 
suddenly as they had appeared. The men 
gazed into the heavens and saw only the stars 
shining in silence and majesty. At length 
David broke the stillness: 


24 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


“ My sons, this is God’s doings. The 
Christ has come at last. Our prayers are 
answered and Jehovah hath seen fit to reveal 
the news to us. The Christ is born in Beth¬ 
lehem, according to the message of the angel, 
and not in Jerusalem as we supposed. Let 
us go even now unto Bethlehem and see this 
thing that is come to pass, which the Lord 
hath made known unto us. ’ ’ 

A thrill passed from man to man as they 
all shouted, “ Good, let us all go at once! ” 
Suddenly the bleating of the sacrificial 
sheep reached Judith’s ear. “ But who will 
stay behind with the sheep? ” he quickly 
asked. 

The shepherds looked at each other in re¬ 
flection. In their great joy to see the Christ 
they had quite forgotten the sheep. 

“ Thou art right, Judith, we cannot all go, 
some one must remain behind to care for the 
sheep,” answered John. 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


25 


“ Thou art right,’’ added Ezra; “ some 
one must stay at home.” 

“ But who will it be? ” put in David, 
looking from one to another. 

A hopeful smile spread over Judith’s face. 
“ I will tell thee,” he said; “ let us draw 
lots and on whomsoever the lot falls, let him 
remain behind to care for the sheep while 
the others go to Bethlehem. ’ ’ 

“ Agreed,” they cried in unison. 

Then for the first time it occurred to 
Judith that he had planned to travel to Jeru¬ 
salem with the hopes of seeing the Christ, 
and that now his journey was in jeopardy. 
Evidently the others forgot this in the joy 
of their new experience. Judith ran into the 
sheepfold and carefully chose three straws 
of equal length and one a trifle shorter. 
Alone in the sheepfold he sent up a silent 
but earnest petition that he might be with 


26 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


the favored ones, but that God would choose 
for him and for strength to abide by His 
choice. 

“ Art thou ready, Judith, for we must 
hasten,” called David, who was impatient to 
begin the journey. 

“ I am ready, Father,” was Judith’s cheer¬ 
ful reply as he ran out of the sheepfold. 

David first petitioned God to choose by 
means of the lot who were to go and who was 
to remain behind. Then the drawing of the 
lots began. It was a tense moment as each 
hand picked a straw from David’s turban. 
Judith’s heart beat fast and his hand trem¬ 
bled as he drew his lot. Then the supreme 
moment — the straws were compared. The 
shorter one was lying in the palm of — 
Judith’s hand. A tear stole down his cheek. 
“ I remain at home,” he said as cheerfully 
as his choking voice permitted. The three 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


27 


shepherds began to prepare for the journey 
as the other shepherd made his way slowly to 
the door of his tent. 

“ Judith,” whispered David, solemnly, as 
they were about to start, “ I leave thee in 
charge of all my possessions and of my affairs 
until I return. Deal with them as I would. 
I know thou wilt be faithful.” Then, plac¬ 
ing a kindly hand on his shoulder, “ My son, 
one must stay at home of necessity, and it 
seems to be Jehovah’s will for thee to remain 
at home. But thou wilt still be a follower 
of the Christ, I know; remember what I say. 
Thou knowest, too, the words of David, our 
father, that those who stay at home by the 
“ stuff ” should have a share of the victories 
as those who go to battle.” 

“ Jehovah be with you,” prayed Judith, 
as the men were starting on that wonderful 
mission, “ and give thee a prosperous jour- 


28 THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 

ney and cause thee to look upon the face of 
the Anointed.” 

“ Amen,” responded the shepherds. 

So the three shepherds journeyed to Beth¬ 
lehem to see the Child Jesus, the King of 
Israel, while the other shepherd remained at 
home tending the sheep. Judith watched the 
retreating forms of his three companions un¬ 
til they were enveloped in darkness; then he 
returned to his tent, heartbroken, discour¬ 
aged, and lonesome. “ Some one must re¬ 
main at home, true,” he soliloquized, “ but 
why should it be I who am so anxious to see 
Him and follow Him ? ’ ’ The bleating of the 
sheep and the quiet quivering of the stars 
overhead spoke sympathetic words to him. 
He gazed at the moon. Just then a black 
cloud swiftly sailed under it, enveloping it 
in darkness, and he thought of his dream. 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


29 


CHAPTER THREE 


T HREE men were leading their camels 
through the long winding streets of 
Bethlehem. That they were not visitors from 
an immediate locality was certain; the idlers 
squatting in front of the shops arose to stare 
after them as they passed by. Their garb 
was of the Far East and their general bear¬ 
ing showed them to be personages of no small 
distinction. It was not customary for Beth- 
lehemites to be visited by men of such de¬ 
meanor. 

“ Where may they be from, and what 
brings them here? ” asked one of the on¬ 
lookers, staring after them, questioningly. 

‘ ‘ I do not know, ’ 7 answered his companion, 



30 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


“ but I think they are emissaries from 
Herod. ’ ’ 

“ I think they are star gazers,” volun¬ 
teered a third, “ for I saw them pass last 
night, gazing at the stars and saying some¬ 
thing about a king. ’ ’ 

Silently the three men swung out of sight 
into a still more crowded way, where more 
people lined the streets to gaze after them. 

“ What say ye,” asked the first wise man, 
who was in the lead, stopping to speak to his 
two companions who were following him, 
“ if we lodge in that inn yonder for the 
night? Our beasts are tired and we have a 
long journey before us.” 

“ As thou sayest,” replied the other two. 

The three wise men made their way 
through the outer court of that wayside inn 
and made arrangements for the night’s lodg¬ 
ing. As they ate their evening meal beside 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


31 


their kneeling camels they could speak of one 
subject only, — the Child Christ whom they 
had just seen and paid homage to. 

“ How kind of Jehovah,’’ said one of 
them, “ to permit us to see the King of 
Israel and to accept of our treasures which 
we kept for His birth.” 

“ Yea,” said the tall man with a red tur¬ 
ban, who evidently was the leader of the 
group, “ it is a blessing; and now we must 
plan to return to Jerusalem with all dis¬ 
patch, to inform Herod of the place where 
we found the Child, so that he, too, can come 
and do homage to Him, as he said. For ye 
know that Herod is quick-tempered, and if 
we do not return instantly he may wreak 
vengeance on us. Let us, then, start our 
journey back with the break of dawn.” 

“ Agreed,” they answered in unison. 

Long before dawn the wise man with the 


32 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


red turban awoke with a start and looked 
about him like one who had suddenly lost his 
reason. Instantly he arose and paced up and 
back with quick, nervous steps. His heavy 
tramping awoke the other two. The man 
with the red turban stopped abruptly, and, 
wheeling about, drew near the other two and 
whispered nervously. 

“ I have had an awful dream,” he said. 
“ I dreamed that the same angel who told 
me of the star in the East stood before me 
this night and warned me not to return to 
Herod, for he was seeking to destroy the 
Child. He commanded me to return by an¬ 
other way, promising me a safe journey, and 
to trust God and not to be afraid.” 

“ Strange,” replied the second wise man, 
‘ ‘ but I have had exactly the same dream this 
night.” 

“ And I, too,” whispered the third. 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


33 


“ Evidently this is of God,” said the first 
wise man, “ and we must not return to 
Herod. Let us journey home by taking a 
southern course.” 

Silently but swiftly the three wise men 
girded themselves for their journey, secured 
their camels, who meekly bent the knee to 
receive the burden, and the next instant were 
off, setting their faces towards the moun¬ 
tains of Judea. As soon as they reached the 
mountains they slackened their speed, for 
there was no need now for haste, as the night 
was inky dark, and even though Herod should 
send men to fetch them they could not pur¬ 
sue them now, for the darkness had enveloped 
them. Slowly and thoughtfully they jour¬ 
neyed on, the silence being broken now and 
then by the man with the red turban, who 
was in the lead, who shouted to the two men 
behind him directions for their steps. So the 


34 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


rest of the night was spent in travel, — hard, 
tiresome, and perplexing. The dawn of the 
next day found the wise men in the very 
bosom of the rugged hills. Then it slowly 
and fearfully dawned upon the men that they 
had never been here before, and that they 
were perfect strangers here in the wilderness, 
with not a trail to be seen nor a sign of life. 
Hills and valleys, valleys and hills, so far as 
their eyes could see. They were in the midst 
of a choppy ocean of granite, without guide 
or sense of direction. The cheerless sun arose 
but soon hid itself within the broad folds of 
the black cloudy curtains that were strung 
across the heavens, and there it remained all 
the day. In their haste to leave Bethlehem 
they had forgotten to replenish their food 
bags and their water bottles, yet they trav¬ 
elled on. What else could they do? 

“ What sayest thou,” said the oldest of 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


35 


the men, “ shall we continue this tiresome 
and vain journey? 77 

‘ ‘ There is nothing else we can do , 7 7 replied 
the second, with a troubled look in his dark 
eyes. 

So the day wore on and at length folded its 
evening’s wings upon a tired, hungry, thirsty, 
and discouraged group. The next day rose 
calm and bright, giving all evidence of a 
warm but thirsty day. Wearily the men 
trudged on, leading their camels through the 
dangerous mountain passes. Each peak held 
out some hope for them that from it they 
might spy a hut or signs of a village; each 
valley was reached with eagerness, that they 
might find a spring of water gushing out over 
the steep rocks. But each peak reached was 
simply another among the many, and each 
valley as bare as the one just left. Doggedly 
they pushed on. To remain meant certain 


36 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


death; there was some possibility of hope if 
they pushed on. Hour after hour they wear¬ 
ily pressed on, going — somewhere, until they 
commenced to doubt the wisdom of their 
choice. Their heads burned, their tongues 
swelled, and their lips were crisp. Towards 
night they rested near a huge boulder, being 
utterly downcast. 

“ I can go no further,” said the oldest 
of the three; “ my temples burn and my 
tongue cleaveth to its roof.” 

“ Courage,” faintly responded the man 
with the red turban, “ He who brought us 
here will see us safely home.” 

No one responded to this exhortation. The 
speaker understood. There was no faith left. 
The silence was painful. Mountains, moun¬ 
tains everywhere, barren, ragged, torn, and 
sharp, symbolizing the harshness of the re¬ 
gion. Woe to him who is left to the mercy 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


37 


of the mountain wilderness. Its heart is of 
stone, its hands are razor sharp, and its lap 
is ragged and rough. Just then a vulture 
flew over them, circling around the group, 
and with a wild cry of anticipation flew west¬ 
ward. 

“ Not yet, not yet,” shouted the man with 
the red turban, shaking his fist at the car¬ 
cass eater. “We are not dead yet. Jehovah 
doth live and He will deliver us safely. ’ ’ 

Even this rally of courage, meant more for 
the other two men than for the feathered 
man-eater, failed to find response in the 
hearts of the fainting men. 

“ My friends,” faintly whispered the 
oldest of them, “ I fear I cannot continue 
the journey with you. I fear that we made 
a sad blunder from which there is no escape 
now. My end draweth near. Hear ye what 
I say: take my camel, my favorite beast, 


38 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


with whom I was brought up in youth and 
slay it. So ye shall have meat to eat and 
courage for your journey, but do not leave 
my body for that carcass eater; and may 
Jehovah go with you.” Overcome by weak¬ 
ness he fell into a stupor. Terror seized the 
second man and he buried his face in his 
hands. 

The man with the red turban withdrew a 
short distance, and looking up into the eve¬ 
ning sky breathed an earnest prayer: 

“ O thou Jehovah,” he prayed, “ the God 
of the wilderness and of the mountains and 
of the hills, hear thy humble servant plead 
for three lives. Thou hast promised in a 
dream to see us safely home. Thou hast com¬ 
manded us to put our trust in thee. We 
trust thee, 0 Jehovah, we trust thee.” 

He had scarcely finished his last words 
when a familiar noise attracted his attention. 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


39 


Could lie be mistaken? Was his mind weak¬ 
ening? Was it a mental mirage? Or per¬ 
haps a trick of the wilderness? He asked 
the second man if he heard that noise, but he 
was too weak to answer. He listened. Yea, 
he heard it again, faintly but clearly. 

“ My friend,” he whispered convulsively, 
grasping the second man by the arm, “ it is 
the bleating of sheep, as Jehovah liveth.” 

The second man stared like one who had 
lost all reason. “ Thou hearest the gnawing 
of hunger in thy mind and not the bleating 
of sheep.” 

But there he heard it again, faint but 
clear. 

“ Nay, but it is sheep,” he shouted 
hoarsely, as tears stole down his cheeks. 
“ Abide here while I make my way to the 
place from where the sound cometh, for there 
must be a shepherd somewhere near. Abide 


40 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


here,” he warned, as he made his way over 
a sharp ledge of rock and was soon lost in 
the darkness. 

Late that night Judith was awakened by 
hearing a dreadful w v ail pierce the darkness. 
Instantly he raised his head to listen again. 

Again, from the blackness of the night, came 

• 

a pitiful wail of distress. “ What can it 
be? ” he asked himself. “ My sheep are 
safe, for I counted them as they entered the 
sheepfold. ’ ’ Again he listened and once more 
he heard the moan of agony. It was not the 
cry of sheep, it was the wail of a human being 
in distress; he was sure of it. The lonely 
life in the mountainous region made his ear 
sensitive to the faintest sound. Hurriedly he 
threw his heavy cloak over his shoulders, and 
grasping his staff in his hands he stood to 
listen. Once more he heard it. “I am com- 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


41 


ing! I am coming! ” he shouted through 
his hands in the direction from which the 
wail came. After a two hours’ search, Judith 
found a man with a red turban lying ex¬ 
hausted at the very edge of his pasture land. 

Judith picked up the exhausted man and 
carried him to his tent, the man muttering 
something which Judith could not under¬ 
stand. Bringing him into his tent he bathed 
his burning temples with cool water and 
forced a few drops into his mouth. After 
drinking more cool water and eating a morsel 
or two of the shepherd’s food, he fell into a 
deep slumber. Early, with the break of 
dawn, he awoke with a start and looked pain¬ 
fully about him. Then he remembered all. 
A few hasty words and Judith understood. 
Taking a beast of burden, he made his way 
to the ledge as fast as the sharp mountains 
permitted. 


42 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


“ Thank Heaven/ ’ he murmured, “ I am 
in time.” Driving the vultures away with 
his staff, he placed the unconscious men on 
his beast and led them to his green pasture. 

“ What caused thee to pass through this 
wilderness and how earnest thou here? ” Ju¬ 
dith asked the man with the red turban, 
late that afternoon, after his strength was 
fully restored, and while his two companions 
were in deep slumber. 

“ We were going East through this moun¬ 
tainous region, ’ ’ he replied, ‘ ‘ and we lost our 
way. We gave up all hopes of being saved. 
But last night I heard the bleating of your 
sheep and knew that there must be a shep¬ 
herd somewhere, so I made my way to the 
place from whence the bleating came. I 
journeyed as long as my strength held out 
and then fell down, completely exhausted, 
when I heard your voice. If thou hadst not 
been here we all should have perished .’ 1 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


43 


The next day Judith gave them directions 
for their journey, filled their meat bags and 
water bottles enough for the entire journey, 
and wished them Godspeed as they started 
out. 

“ The Lord bless thee,” called back the 
man with the red turban, “ and prosper 
thee. May the blessing of the Child King be 
with thee.” 

Judith watched them until the hills hid 
them entirely from view. 

“ Who are they, I wonder,” he asked him¬ 
self, “ and what do they mean by the Child 
King? I wonder if they w r ere in Bethlehem 
and saw David and John and Ezra? I won¬ 
der if they saw the Christ? ” 

And his heart beat faster at the thought. 


44 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


CHAPTER FOUR 


S AUL ben Eleazer was a true son of Israel. 

He made his home, with his young wife, 
not far from the city gate in Bethlehem. Al¬ 
though Saul had been married for nigh unto 
half a decade, yet there was no childish 
voice in his home. His life was gloomy and 
sad. The cloud hung no less heavy on 
Miriam, his wife. She had prayed that God 
would favor her with a child, but the heavens 
were shut up against her prayers. What 
greater curse can befall any home than the 
thought that the name will not be perpetu¬ 
ated ; that no son will bury the aged parents 
or pray for their peace. Miriam felt the 
sorrow keenly. To say that Saul was dis¬ 
appointed, is to say the least. 



THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


45 


One day Saul went to see the High Priest, 
Zacharias, in Jerusalem, to receive words of 
consolation from him, and, perhaps, who 
knows — a prophecy. 

“ Saul ben Eleazer,” began the venerable 
man of God, after listening reverently and 
sympathetically to the words of the young 
inquirer, “ nothing is impossible with God. 
I know of several women who were barren 
and who came before the altar of our God 
in the Temple and prayed for children, and 
now they are happy mothers. Tell thy good 
Miriam to appear before Jehovah in the Tem¬ 
ple to-morrow before the hour of sacrifice, 
and I prophecy that God will grant thee the 
desire of thy heart.” 

Exactly a twelvemonth after this confer¬ 
ence, Miriam bare a son, and she called him 
Jotham. It w r as a proud moment for both 
Saul and Miriam when Jotham was dedi- 


46 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


cated to Jehovah when eight days old, accord¬ 
ing to the laws of Moses. 

Two years flew swiftly by and Jotham 
grew to be a strong lad and comely. He was 
the life and treasure of that simple family. 
He was his father’s eye and his mother’s 
heart. Saul was happier than a king on his 
throne when, coming home from the wheat 
fields at night, he picked Jotham up in his 
arms and lavished a father’s affection upon 
him. 

It must be remembered that Bethlehem was 
a village of children; and while the coming 
of Jotham simply added just another one to 
the number of children, yet to both Saul and 
Miriam he was stronger, larger, and more in¬ 
telligent than any other child his age. So 
Jotham grew up within the environments of 
Bethlehem among hundreds of other children. 

What a splendid theme for a Raphael or 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


47 


a Titian to delineate, ‘ ‘ The Grotto of Beth¬ 
lehem.” The narrow streets are alive with 
shouting, laughing, and merry children. 
Their proud parents are sitting or squatting 
in front of their low-roofed, plaster-baked 
houses, carrying on congenial conversations 
with their neighbors, while their hearts are 
with their romping children. Here is the 
future of a nation and the wide-open gate 
to a father’s and mother’s life. Who lays 
his hand on a child’s head, lays it on a 
mother’s heart; who deals tenderly with a 
child, takes the father a captive. 

It was quite the common thing for Beth¬ 
lehem parents to plan for their children’s 
future when the child was yet in its cradle. 
Every mother prayed that the child might be 
the forerunner of the Christ. Every father 
hoped that the son might be a High Priest 
or a leader of the people. 


48 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


“ Miriam,” remarked the young husband 
one evening, as he returned from the wheat 
field, “ dost thou know what day to-morrow 
is? ” 

“ I verily do,” she replied; “ a poor 
mother I would be if I did not know that 
to-morrow is Jotham’s birthday, when he 
shall reach his second summer.” 

“ Knowest thou what I have been think¬ 
ing? ” he asked, as he reclined on the couch. 
“ I would like to place our Jotham under 
the tutelage of the High Priest at Jerusalem. 
I would fain have him grow up a second 
Samuel. 77 

“ I have been thinking the same thing,” 
replied Miriam, as she bent over the sleeping 
form of their affection. “ But tell me, is it 
true that our Simeon, the man of God, 
died? ” 

“It is true, Miriam,” he replied; “ I 
only heard it this morning. But there is a 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


49 


strange tale connected with his death. A cer¬ 
tain Joseph and Mary presented their child 
to Jehovah and he was named Jesns. Simeon 
was there at the service and he prophesied 
concerning him, and thanked God that he was 
permitted to see His glory as it is revealed in 
that Babe, and that he was now ready to pass 
out from this world. It was a strange word. 
Then he was taken to his home by three shep¬ 
herd friends of his, and he died in his ow T n 
home, not knowing any sickness. And they 
say that one of the shepherds was so affected 
by his death that he is now sick nigh unto 
death. It is rumored that it is David, the 
man great in learning and piety. But I 
pray God that it is not. But what sayest 
thou, Miriam, if to-morrow I take Jotham to 
Jerusalem and place him in the Temple under 
the tutelage of Zacharias, the High Priest, 
now that Simeon is no more? I would like 
him to grow up to be like Samuel. It would 


50 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


be a fitting thing to do to-morrow, being his 
second birthday.” 

“ As thou sayest,” replied Miriam, “ and 
may Jehovah be with him.” 

Scarcely had Miriam finished the last word, 
when she suddenly looked up at her husband 
with a fright in her eyes. 

“ Dost thou hear a noise, Saul, as of cry¬ 
ing and wailing? What can it mean? ” 

“ I do not know,” he replied, springing 
from his couch and peering into the dark¬ 
ness. 

The answer was soon to be given in a 
rather unexpected fashion. A frantic man 
with a wild look in his eye and a torn cloak 
over his body was rushing madly through the 
streets, pounding at doors and shouting: 
“ Mothers and fathers of Israel, hide your 
infants. Herod’s soldiers are slaying all 
children. ’ ’ 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


51 


Saul and Miriam could scarcely believe 
their ears. The storm was approaching. 
Breathlessly they watched him approach 
their door. 

“ What meanest thou, what meanest 
thou? ” asked Saul, excitedly, grasping the 
w 7 ild man by his torn garment. 

“ Saul, Miriam,” he shrieked, “ dost thou 
not hear the cries of dying infants? Hide 
thy little one, quick. Herod is slaying all 
infants two years old and younger, in a vain 
effort to slay the Child Jesus who is born 
King of the Jews.” Tearing himself loose 
from Saul’s hold, he fled on with his ghastly 
message. Meanwhile the cries increased. 
Saul and Miriam stood speechless and were 
facing each other. The ever-increasing cries 
and the nearing torches warned them that 
the storm was rapidly approaching. 

“Jotham, Jotham,” shrieked Miriam, re- 


52 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


covering from her dazed condition, and 
grasping the sleeping child from his cradle. 
The child awoke with a start. Hastily she 
wrapped him in blankets and called to Saul, 
1 ‘ Saul, let us flee from this curse. Hasten! ’ ’ 
The streets were now filled with the shrieks 
of dying infants and the wailing of bereft 
parents. But it was now too late, for the 
storm was upon them. A rough, hairy arm 
grasped her trembling shoulder and tore the 
infant from her breast. The blood-stained 
knife of the soldier turned the timid mother 
to a lioness who would die for her cub. 
Fiercely she sprang at the soldier in a futile 
attempt to regain her child. The frightened 
child mingled his cry with scores of others 
on the streets and in near-by houses. An¬ 
other instant and little Jotham, who was to 
be brought to the Temple that he might be 
a second Samuel, was bathed in his own blood. 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


53 


The soldiers then arose and hastened on to 
the next house to repeat their cruel deed. 

Wholly dazed, Saul bent over the lifeless 
form of his Miriam; then, with a peculiar 
wild look in his bloodshot eyes, he tenderly 
picked up his bleeding child, and folding him 
tightly in his bosom sat thus all night, imag¬ 
ining that he was thus protecting him from 
further dangers. Now and again he re¬ 
peated the lines he learned at the Rabbinical 
school, when a mere lad: 

In Rama was there a voice heard, 

Lamentation and weeping and great mourning, 

Rachel weeping for her children 

And would not be comforted because they are not. 

This experience of Saul and Miriam is 
typical of thousands of others on that awful 
night when Herod sought for the Child 
Jesus to slay Him. 


54 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


“ Mary, I have had a dream this night,” 
said Joseph, “ which seemeth to me to be of 
God and His message for us. An angel of 
the Lord appeared to me and said, ‘ Arise 
and take the young child and his mother and 
flee to Egypt and be there until I bring thee 
word, for Herod will seek the young child 
to destroy him.’ ” 

The break of dawn found Joseph and 
Mary and the Child facing the mountains of 
Judea journeying on to Egypt. On the 
second day of their journey Joseph spied 
Judith, the shepherd lad, in the pasture and 
approached him. 

“ My friend,” replied Judith, “ all I have 
is thine; thou art welcome to rest and re¬ 
fresh thyself in my tent, thou and thy 
family. ’ ’ 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


55 


“ This is the way they went/’ shouted a 
hard-looking soldier to his companions, each 
one having a drawn saber in his hand. “We 
must find that Child or Herod will never for¬ 
give us.” 

“ Woe to those men of the East if Herod 
lays his hands on them,” put in another 
soldier. 

All that night a band of five rough-looking 
fellows rode hard on the trail that led 
through the mountains of Judea, yet never 
once came in sight of their victim. 

“ It seemeth strange,” said one of them, 
“ that he should elude us so successfully; 
thinkest thou that the Hebrew God is with 
him? ” 

“ I do not know,” replied his companion, 
“ but we must do our best to apprehend 
him.” 


56 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


The next day found them standing on the 
summit of a ragged mountain overlooking a 
pleasant pasture land dotted with hundreds 
of grazing sheep; a few pitched tents were 
in the distance, and a shepherd was reclining 
near a rock. 

“ I do not see any fleeing folk here,” re¬ 
marked the leader of the group, shading his 
eyes and scanning the horizon, “ and I do 
not care to go on any further for I fear fur¬ 
ther pursuit; let us return.” 

“ My friend,” said Joseph, as the family 
was ready to resume its journey, “ may Jeho¬ 
vah bless thee and repay thee for thy kind¬ 
ness. Blessed art thou for being here and 
for being used so graciously by Jehovah for 
our comfort.” 

As the group passed out of sight, Judith 
felt a sense of joy welling up in his heart 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


57 


that he had remained at home and enter¬ 
tained — angels unawares. 

“ I wonder,” he asked himself, “ if they 
came from Bethlehem and if they saw David 
and John and Ezra. I wonder if they saw 
the Child Jesus.” A peculiar thrill ran 
through his body. 


58 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


CHAPTER FIVE 


L ET us now follow the fortunes of the 
three shepherds, David, John, and Ezra. 
We hasten with them through the moun¬ 
tains on our way to Bethlehem. We do not 
stop for rest or refreshment; our hearts are 
beating too fast for that and our minds are 
too full of anticipation. We feel neither 
weary nor faint; we have no desire for rest. 
It seems as though we are blessed with some 
superhuman strength as we skip over the 
steep hills; at last, like one emerging from 
the wilderness to the land of promise, we 
emerge upon the Bethlehem road. We find 
that it is alive with people, — visitors from 
all parts of Judea. A thrill of joy possesses 



THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


59 


us as we enter the city proper. In such 
haste are we and so full of expectation that 
we do not even stop to listen to the public 
gossip that is carried on here and there. Our 
supreme aim is to get somewhere and as 
quickly as possible. 

But how are we to find the place where 
the Child Christ is born? There are hun¬ 
dreds of buildings of all sizes and descrip¬ 
tions in Bethlehem; into which one of these 
are we to enter ? Strangely enough this 
problem does not even present itself to the 
shepherds. They are hastening on as though 
led by some invisible power. Confidently 
they turn into one street and out of another 
as though they had accurate knowledge con¬ 
cerning the place of His birth. What causes 
them to have such assurance, we ask ourselves 
as we follow them. Possibly this: that the 
heavenly messenger who brought them the 


60 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


message of His birth and invited them to 
visit His cradle is now leading them to the 
spot. So we hasten on with them. 

Another moment and we follow them as 
they unhesitatingly enter a stable, and there 
— what word or pen or brush can do justice 
to the scene that greeted the eyes of the won¬ 
dering shepherds? Artists have vied with 
one another in visualizing this meeting, but 
their finest products fall far short of our 
ideals concerning it. The attempt, however, 
has immortalized more than one artist. 

How prophetic — this visit of the shep¬ 
herds. So early in His life did it symbolize 
the fact that He was to be numbered with 
the common people. “ And the common peo¬ 
ple heard Him gladly.” 

After doing homage to the Child, the shep¬ 
herds naturally journeyed on to Jerusalem 
to visit with Simeon, and there the group 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


61 


rehearsed the entire experience: the visit 
of the angels; their journey to Bethlehem; 
and their meeting with the Holy Family. 

‘ ‘ Blessed are ye, my friends, ’ ’ said Simeon 
at the conclusion of their words, “ for ye 
have seen the Glory of the Lord. And I, too, 
am to see His glory ere I die; this assurance 
have I from God. But tell me, David, my 
friend, how is Judith prospering? ” 

“ Judith is a man strong in the faith of 
our fathers. He is of heroic spirit. He 
planned to go to Jerusalem to witness the 
coming of the Christ, but it seemed to be the 
will of Jehovah for him to abide by the sheep 
while we journeyed to Bethlehem according 
to the message of the angel. And when 
Jehovah’s will was made known bj^ the cast¬ 
ing of lots, Judith did not raise a finger of 
protest. I tell thee that he will be used for 
some purpose yet.” 


62 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


“ I rejoice to hear that, David, for I feel 
that I shall soon face his mother,'and I want 
to bring her this good word from her son. 
But abide with me, my friends, until the 
dedication of the Child in the Temple.” 

The shepherds were easily persuaded to 
remain with Simeon until the dedication. 
So, on the Sabbath day, they were present 
and saw the Child presented to the Lord. 
Then they listened to the prophetic words of 
Simeon: 

Lord, now lettest thy servant depart in peace, 
according to thy word, 

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. 

David was noticeably affected by the mean¬ 
ing of this prophecy. Slowly and seriously 
the group walked home after the sacred 
service, the shepherds pondering over the 
words of Simeon. But the prophecy was 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


63 


soon fulfilled. For all too soon Simeon was 
gathered to his fathers, without knowing the* 
pangs of death. So powerfully did the pass¬ 
ing of Simeon affect David that he at once 
showed signs of physical weakness. He ate 
little and spoke less. A peculiar expression 
stole over his features that caused no small 
concern to his sons. 

One evening he called them together and 
said to them, “ My sons, ye know how much 
my friend Simeon meant to me in life. What 
Jonathan was to David, so Simeon was to me, 
and now he is no more. I rejoice that I shall 
soon follow him. I shall not return to my 
sheep, but go ye, my sons, and bless Judith 
for his services. Tell him that the blessing 
of Jehovah will be upon him, and that his 
great desire, that of seeing and serving the 
Christ, will be granted by Jehovah.” He 
now spoke with great difficulty. Regaining 


64 THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 

strength, he sat up, and stretching out his 
hands he blessed his sons. 

“ Pledge me, my sons,” he begged feebly, 
“ pledge me that ye will become disciples of 
the Christ in due season; pledge me that, 
my sons, ere I die.” 

“ We pledge thee that,” returned the sons. 

“ May Heaven witness your pledge ” re¬ 
turned the feeble shepherd. 

Thoroughly exhausted he fell back on his 
pillow. Opening his eyes slowly he stared 
vacantly about, then, looking upward, he 
exclaimed triumphantly, “ Friend Simeon, 
I come.” 

So the two brother shepherds returned to 
their home among the mountains of Judea, 
possessed by conflicting emotions, — the joy 
of having seen the Child Jesus on the one 
hand, and the loss of their father on the 
other. 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


05 


It was with this strange commingling of 
emotions that they rehearsed their experi¬ 
ences in the evening as they sat around the 
fire. 

“ Yea,” said John, “ a group of wise men 
came from the East and brought precious 
gifts to the Child, and then suddenly dis¬ 
appeared, though Herod waited for them to 
receive information as to the place of His 
birth, but they could not be found. It seems 
as if they vanished out of sight during the 
night. And then, Judith, the tragedy of 
tragedies. Herod sought for the Child to 
slay Him, but he could not find Him. So 
he slew all the male infants in Bethlehem 
two years old and younger, in the hope that 
the Child Jesus might be among the number, 
but no trace of the Holy Family could be 
found, although diligent search was made. 
It seems as though they, too, vanished out of 
sight mysteriously.” 


66 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


“ And now tell us about thyself,” urged 
Ezra, “ What hast thou done during our 
absence? ” 

“ Nothing strange occurred,” answered 
Judith, “ save that I entertained some trav¬ 
elling foil?;. A group of three men lost their 
way here in these mountains and regained 
strength and courage here; and another 
group, a family on a journey, stopped here 
for rest and refreshment.” 

11 But we must not forget to tell thee,” 
put in John, “ that Father sent his blessings 
to thee for thy loyalty, and he bade us tell 
thee that thou wilt also be a follower and 
servant of the Christ. He made us pledge 
him, ere he died, that in due season we will 
become the disciples of the Christ.” 

“ Good,” shouted Judith, “ and I will go 
with you, too.” 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


67 


So the days wore on. They lengthened to 
months and the months gave birth to years. 
Judith, John, and Ezra still tended the sheep 
among the hills of Bethlehem and prospered 
exceedingly. The mantle of David, the 
father, fell on the men, for they were youths 
no longer. The years crowned their heads 
with the glory of age. John was a perfect 
replica of his father, with his gray full beard, 
clean-cut features, and kindly eyes. Both 
Judith and Ezra were fast approaching the 
patriarchal age, for many summers had 
passed over their heads since the visit of the 
angels. Yet not a day passed but that they 
spoke of that wonderful visit and prophesied 
how soon the Christ would reappear and call 
them to discipleship. Thirty years had not 
dimmed their hopes nor weakened the pledge 
they had made to David, the father. 


68 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


One day a traveller passed that way and 
stayed with the shepherds for that evening. 
He told them a strange tale. He spoke of one 
who was raising the dead, healing the sick, 
befriending the poor, blessing the children, 
eating with publicans and sinners, and speak¬ 
ing gracious words concerning the Kingdom 
of God. The shepherds listened with the 
greatest of interest. 

“ Tell me, my friend,” said John at length, 
“ and by what name do men call him? ” 

“ He calls Himself the Son of Man,” was 
the reply; “ some think He is Elias, others, 
one of the prophets who is raised from the 
dead; but His disciples believe that He is the 
Christ of God, the Messiah.” 

The hearts of the shepherds fairly stopped 
beating for a second or two. The blood of 
youth once more flowed through their veins, 
as they felt increased strength gathering at 
the very sound of that name. 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


69 


Recovering from this unexpected surprise, 
John quickly turned to Ezra with the spry- 
ness of youth, and fairly shouted with joy, 
“We must not forget the pledge we made 
to Father! ” Then, turning to Judith, 
“ Judith, thou must go with us at once, so 
all together we may serve the Christ of our 
fathers. ’ ’ 

Judith’s face lighted up with joy, for a 
moment only; then his brow wrinkled as he 
turned about to the sheep. Then very clearly 
the words of David resounded in his ears, 
“ Judith, I leave thee in charge of my pos¬ 
sessions. ... I know thou wilt be faithful.” 

Judith slowly shook his head. “ Nay, dear 
friends, ye go at once, but I must abide here 
to dispose of these sheep. I am in honor 
bound to do so, but as soon as I have dis¬ 
posed of them I shall surely join you.” 

“ Judith,” said John, grasping his hand, 
“ thou art a loyal friend, and may Heaven 


70 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


reward thee for thy faithfulness; as thou 
sayest, we shall leave at once, this evening, 
and thou must join us with all dispatch.’’ 

So once again Judith watched the retreat¬ 
ing forms of his friends. He was strangely 
reminded of a similar occurrence nearly 
thirty years before, when the angels brought 
the message of the birth of the Child Christ. 
But now his heart beat hopefully, that in a 
day or two, or perhaps longer, he would join 
his friends and his great quest — that of 
following the Christ, — would at last be 
attained. 

With these thoughts filling his mind he 
turned to his tent and lay down on the soft 
green turf and gazed into the jewelled sky. 
“ How fast the years have flown,” he mused. 
At exactly the same place, thirty years be¬ 
fore, he had gazed up into the sky, utterly 
disappointed, but now, with the anticipation 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


71 


that very soon he would see Him for whom 
his great soul had waited so patiently for so 
many years. Suddenly a black cloud swiftly 
sailed under the bright moon, enveloping it 
in darkness. It made Judith start in spite 
of himself. “ How like the experience of that 
memorable evening, ’ * he said to himself. 
“Was this ominous of another disappoint¬ 
ment,” he murmured. “ May God forbid,” 
he cried aloud. As if by magic the dream 
of those long-ago days, the dream whose ful¬ 
fillment he feared, suddenly darted into his 
mind with all of its suggestiveness. Vainly 
he tried to brush it from him; it haunted 
him into the late night watches. 


72 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


CHAPTER SIX 


F OR the next few days Judith was busity 
engaged negotiating with prospective 
buyers. He fervently hoped and prayed that 
a transaction would be closed in a day or 
two, or, at the utmost, a week. He begrudged 
every moment that he spent here while his 
friends were with the Christ. But he soon 
found that he miscalculated regarding the 
readiness of buyers to deal fairly with him. 
The shrewd Eastern merchants, observing 
his willingness to sell the flock, attempted to 
force him to sell at an unreasonable sacrifice. 
So the days lengthened to weeks and the 
weeks to months. Again and again he was 
strongly tempted to sell the entire flock at 



THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


73 


any price. The call of the Christ was in his 
heart. He longed to spend the rest of his 
years in the service of his Master, with John 
and Ezra. It was the dream of his youth, 
the ideal of his life, his first love. This he 
inherited from his protector and guardian, 
David. David was living again in the aspira¬ 
tions and deepest emotions of Judith. 

“ Come,” whispered the tempter to him 
one day, as he felt a strong impulse to sell at 
an extremely low figure, “ thou hast the 
power to dispose of these sheep; sell and 
leave this pasture land. It is unfair for thee 
to remain here when the Christ is waiting 
for thee.” 

But his weakness was but momentary. He 
thought of David, his pledge to be faithful 
to his trust. “ Nay, my friend,” he answered 
the olive-skinned merchant who was standing 
before him, “ though the sheep are not mine, 


74 THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST • 

yet I am in honor bound to be faithful to 
my trust.” 

So the months grew more numerous and 
Judith’s heart more anxious. With un¬ 
equalled courage and enviable patience 
Judith played the part of life that fate 
placed at his feet. 

At last, but in a strange way, the God of 
men rewarded this saint in answering his 
deepest prayer that had ascended from his 
heart for years. A prosperous-looking Idu- 
mean attended by a retinue of servants rode 
up to Judith’s tent one afternoon to inquire 
regarding the disposal of his flock. Within 
a few moments a successful transaction w r as 
completed. It was a proud and happy mo¬ 
ment for old Judith. “ At last,” he joyously 
whispered to himself. “ Now, John and 
Ezra, I am coming to join you. At last I, 
too, am to see and serve the blessed Christ. 
The prophecy of David will be fulfilled.” 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


75 


It seemed necessary for Judith to remain 
there for the night, so he purposed leaving 
for Bethlehem with the break of dawn. Ly¬ 
ing down on the soft green turf, where he 
had lain for many a year, he looked up into 
the spangled sky and the silent mountains, 
his never-changing companions, and called on 
them to share with him in his unbounded 
joy. So the hours of the night passed. 
Vainly he tried to force his eyes to slumber, 
so that he might feel refreshed for the jour¬ 
ney on the morrow. But his mind and heart 
were too full for slumber. Giving his mind 
free play, it instantly turned the pages of 
time back some fifty years. David was stand¬ 
ing before him, so kind, so gentle, so devout, 
and there were both John and Ezra, cour¬ 
ageous and fearless. David now gives him 
permission to journey to Jerusalem to see, 
perchance, the Christ. How happy he is! 
But now T he sees the visit of the angels and 


76 THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 

hears their joyous message of the birth of the 
Child in Bethlehem. Now they cast lots — 
his heart is pained and he is aroused. At 
times the free wandering of the mind leads 
us into painful recollections. But very late 
that night he fell asleep. He dreamed that 
he was a youth again, strong and care-free, 
in company with John and Ezra, and the 
sheep and mountains and fields and streams. 
He heard David calling to him, and, looking 
behind him to answer the call, he saw David 
standing, not in front of his tent but in front 
of a beautiful mansion. “ Come, my son,” 
said David, “ come home and rest, for thou 
must be weary; thou hast been faithful in that 
which was not thine, thou shalt be rewarded 
with treasures that shall be all thine own.” 
Judith awoke with a start. He placed his 
hands to his eyes; they were wet, and so 
were his cheeks. “ I must have been weep¬ 
ing for joy,” he said to himself. 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


77 


The first purple gleams of the sun were 
just peeping over the eastern peaks when 
Judith prepared for his journey. Tying the 
money which he received in exchange for the 
sheep securely in his girdle, taking a last look 
at the bleating sheep which had been his com¬ 
panions for so many summers, and saying 
farewell to his beloved hills and streams, he 
turned his back and plunged into the moun¬ 
tains. 

“ Bethlehem, at last,” he joyously cried to 
himself, as he emerged into the plains of the 
city. “ Now,” he mused, “ I am to find the 
Christ and my friends.” 

All day long he wandered about the nar¬ 
row streets, inquiring here and there if they 
knew aught of the Christ. Although all 
knew Him, by hearing reports of travellers, 
yet none could tell him just where to find 
Him. The reports that he heard of His won¬ 
derful works, but more especially of His 


78 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


gracious words, concerning the Kingdom of 
God, filled his heart full of joy and increased 
his zeal in searching. Towards evening he 
met a traveller, who evidently came from a 
distance. Approaching him, Judith asked: 

“ My friend, canst thou tell me where I 
can find the Christ? Hast thou seen Him in 
thy journey? ” 

“ Most gladly will i tell thee where He 
is,” was the ready answer. “ I am just come 
down from Upper Galilee and He was in 
Capernaum. I saw Him there. How won¬ 
derful it all is. He heals the sick, raises the 
dead, and forgives sins. All are following 
Him.” 

Judith scarcely listened to the closing 
words. “ To Capernaum, then, I must go,” 
he said to himself. 

It was the second week of his travel to 
Capernaum, when he entered a small town 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


79 


on the River Jordan. On entering one of the 
houses, where he was to purchase a meal, he 
was greeted with much wailing and weeping. 
A mother was bending over the dying form 
of her child and pouring out her life in tears. 
His heart was touched. “ My good woman/’ 
he said, “ can I be of any assistance? ” 

“ Sir,” she replied, scarcely looking up, 
“ my child is at the point of death, and I 
have no means to get him to Bethlehem to 
the physician.” 

Judith hesitated for a moment; then, “ I 
have the means and will get thee and thy 
child to Bethlehem.” 

It was a hasty journey, and he thanked 
God that he was in time. Taking leave of 
the woman who was showering him with her 
blessings, he said, “ Do not thank me, but 
bless the name of David ben Saul, whose 
means I have used.” 


80 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


Once more he resumed his journey to 
Capernaum. Reaching the outskirts of 
Samaria, he crossed into Peraea, that he 
might not pass through Samaria. After 
many uneventful days he at last recrossed 
the Jordan, entered Galilee, and pressed 
northward towards Capernaum. His heart 
fluttered. His hopes were soon to be realized. 
Early in the evening he reached a small town 
by the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Magdala, 
by name, only a few miles from Capernaum. 
He could reach Capernaum that night, but 
he was weary and so purposed to remain 
there for the night and continue his jour¬ 
ney in the morning. He might have jour¬ 
neyed on that night, for he could not sleep; 
he w T as too near the Master for sleep. His 
mind and heart were full of expectation. 
So, very early in the morning, he set his face 
towards Capernaum. Up one summit and 
down another he hastened with all the vigor 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


81 


of youth. Reaching one summit he rested 
and looked about him. What is that yonder 
in the valley? He strained his eyes to see 
more clearly. His blood chilled, his arms 
knotted, his fists tightened. “ A traveller 
has fallen among thieves,’ ’ he murmured to 
himself, “ and unless assistance is given him 
they will kill him.” His keen sense of jus¬ 
tice, his tendency to protect the weak, mas¬ 
tered him; he could resist no longer. In 
another moment he was in the midst of the 
struggle. Though he had passed his prime 
long ago, yet it is not easy to outgrow the 
strength that the mountains give to their 
human lovers. His sledge-hammer blows 
soon told. 

“ My friend, thou dost need care,” were 
Judith’s first words to this stranger, after 
the assailants fled. For the man was badly 
bruised and bleeding freely. Judith bound 
up his wounds, lifted him up tenderly, and 


82 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


brought him to an inn in the outskirts of the 
city of Capernaum. His wounded companion 
said not a word, neither opened he his eyes. 
For days the life of this unknown man hung 
in the balance, but after much tender nursing 
and care Judith’s heart was gladdened to see 
him grow stronger and brighter. 

“ Tell me,” Judith asked one morning, 
“ who art thou, and why that fierce conflict 
with those men? ” 

“ My friend,” he replied, “ my name is 
Jason. I was travelling from Capernaum 
to Bethlehem with much treasure in my 
girdle, when I fell among thieves. If it had 
not been for thee, they would have left me 
dead. May Heaven reward thee for thy 
kindness. ’ ’ 

The next day Judith felt that he could 
leave Jason to the care of the innkeeper. 
Then, after a few parting words and with 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


83 


hopes that they might meet again, Judith 
took leave of Jason and entered Capernaum. 
The city was alive with one topic. It was 
discussed everywhere, — on the market place, 
in the Temple, on the streets, in the fields. 

“ Sirs,” asked Judith, after listening to 
a heated discussion regarding the merits of 
the Christ, “ and where is this Jesus? ” 

“ Some days ago he passed over on the 
other side of the sea, into Bethsaida,” was 
the reply. 

“ Then I am just a little too late,” Judith 
said to himself, as he set his face northward, 
feeling that the distance between him and 
the Christ was ever narrowing. 

“ Please, sir,” pleaded a girlish voice, as 
she was tugging at the hem of his garment, 
“ Please, sir, wilt thou come with me to my 
house? My mother wishes to see thee.” 

Judith looked into the tear-stained face of 


84 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


a delicate child. Picking her up in his arms, 
he asked, “ And why does thy mother wish 
to see me, my daughter? ” 

“ My mother is sick nigh unto death,’’ 
sobbed the child, “ and my father is many 
miles away in the forests of the mountains, 
and he must know that my mother is sick. 
So she sent me out and told me to call in the 
first man with a kindly face that I saw in 
the road; so I called thee.” 

Judith put her down slowly. “ I fear, my 
child,” he said, “ that thou hast made a mis¬ 
take. Besides, I have no time to spare for 
such a mission. I could not go. I must 
hasten on.” 

The weeping child looked imploringly into 
Judith’s eyes as he walked slowly away. He 
had not taken more than a dozen steps when 
he saw David standing before him with a look 
of reproof. That was sufficient. “ My 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


85 


daughter,” he called, slowly returning, to 
the child, 11 come, I will go with thee.” 

“ Jehovah be praised! ” whispered the sick 
woman when she saw Judith walk in with the 
little girl in his arms. “ Kind sir,” she 
begged, “ wilt thou go to the forests of 
Salamis and tell my husband that sickness 
hath laid me low and he must hasten home, 
for there is none to care for the five little 
ones.’ ’ 

Again Judith was on a mission of mercy 
while searching for the Christ. It was a 
tedious and forced journey, and he hastened 
on with all dispatch. He felt much relieved 
when he returned with the anxious husband. 
11 May Jehovah reward thee,” was his only 
compensation. 

“ I fear I have delayed too long,” he said 
to himself as he hastened on to cross the 
Sea of Galilee. Arriving in Bethsaida, he 


86 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


found everybody talking about the Christ. 
Anxiously he looked about full of anticipa¬ 
tion, expecting at almost any turn to find 
the Christ and John and Ezra, his friends. 
“ Surely,” he said to himself, “ I must be 
near them, for they are all talking about His 
wonderful works. ’ ’ And his heart beat 
faster. 

Suddenly he felt a heavy arm on his 
shoulder and, looking about him, he met a 
pair of kindly eyes. 

“ Is thy name Judith? ” asked the 
stranger. 

“It is,” replied Judith perplexed. 
“ Whence knowest thou me? ” 

“ Wilt thou come to my abode, for I have 
a message for thee? ” 

“ My friend,” began the stranger, after 
Judith reclined comfortably on a rich couch, 
‘ ‘ I have a message for thee from thy friends, 
John and Ezra.” 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


87 


Judith could hear his heart beat. ‘ ‘ Where 
are they? ” he cried, springing up from his 
couch. “ I desire to see tjiem at once/’ 

“ Calm thyself,” replied the host; “ thou 
canst not see them. But hear me: thy 
friends came here with our blessed Christ, 
and some months ago He sent out* seventy 
disciples, two by two. John and Ezra were 
among them, and they went off together, 
preaching the Kingdom of God and healing 
the sick. They returned with great joy, be¬ 
cause the demons were subject to them. Now 
John, as thou knowest, was aged, and the 
joy of that service was too much for him. 
He could not bear it long. Soon after he was 
gathered home to his fathers, calling thy 
name.” 

“ Thou dost not mean that, my friend,” 
shouted Judith, grasping his host by his arm. 

** Calm thyself, ’ ’ replied his host, ‘ * until 
thou hast heard all. Ezra mourned for his 


88 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


brother,” he continued, “ and exactly a 
month after John's death Ezra grew fear¬ 
fully sick. I took him home with me, and 
laid him on that couch. He grew weaker each 
day. I saw that the end was not far off. One 
day he called me to his bedside and placed 
me under oath that I would watch for thee 
and tell thee how happy they were in the 
service of the Master, and urge thee on in 
His service, too. He left a blessing for thee 
for thy loyalty and sacrifice. He wished me 
to tell thee to use what money thou hast for 
the sheep, in whatever way it seemeth good 
to thee. Then, looking up, he called, ‘ Father, 
John, I come,’ and he fell asleep.” 

Judith was overcome with emotion. Bury¬ 
ing his face in his hands he sobbed like a 
child. “ John, Ezra,” he moaned, “ the 
friends of my youth, have left me. I am 
all alone in the world.” 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


89 


“ Nay, nay, my friend,” said his host 
kindly, “ thou art not alone in the world, for 
thy friends are with thee in spirit. The best 
of life is yet to come. Take courage, seek the 
Master, and become a follower of His as thy 
friends were.” 

“ And where is the Master now? ” asked 
Judith, looking eagerly into the face of his 
kind host. 

“ The Master left Bethsaida a short time 
ago and has gone down to Bethany, ’ ’ was the 
reply. 

Judith’s heart fell. “ Again I am too 
late,” he murmured to himself. “ Back to 
Bethany. I must journey back to Bethany.” 

“ Rest a while here,” said his host, 11 then 
thou canst journey down to Bethany and see 
the Master and follow Him.” 

It was a long journey back to Bethany, 
over exactly the same route that he took com- 


90 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


ing up to Capernaum. Judith began to show 
signs of weakness, but he was as determined 
as ever. The dream of his youth had not yet 
dimmed nor his courage abated. It was a 
weary journey down to Bethany, but his 
Christ was there, the Master of David and 
John and Ezra. After many weary days of 
travel he at last reached Bethany. 

Hark, what meaneth the great noise? The 
city is in a whirl of joy. The streets are filled 
with women and children, laughing, joyous, 
and singing. What meaneth this ? The 
streets are strewn with palm and myrtle 
branches. Hath some conqueror passed this 
way ? Hath Herod or Cassar been here ? 
Where are the men of the city, the old men 
and young men? What hath happened? 
These questions forced themselves upon the 
tired brain of Judith. 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


91 


Stopping to inquire of a group of women, 
one said to him, 4 4 And thou art a stranger 
here ? Dost thou not know that the Kingdom 
of our father David is soon to be restored? 
Dost thou not know that the Son of God, the 
Christ of Israel, was here? ” 

Judith felt his temples burn and a peculiar 
weakness seized him. “ Was here/’ he 
slowly repeated, “ and where is He now? ” 

“ Thou art a stranger here, I see,” said 
the woman. “ Then let me tell thee what has 
occurred. The Christ hath gone up to Jeru¬ 
salem, to set up His Messianic reign. The 
men of Bethlehem followed Him there with 
palm and myrtle branches. It was a grand 
procession. They were singing their loud 
Hosannas that we, the children of Abraham, 
have held in leash for centuries. We expect 
any moment to receive word that the King- 


92 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


dom of our father David hath been restored 
in Jerusalem. If thou wilt hasten to Jeru¬ 
salem thou wilt surely see Him.” 

“ At last, at last! ” said Judith to himself, 
after blessing the woman for her kindness, 
“ I shall see Him at last. I shall yet serve 
Him.” 

Now Jerusalem was only about a stone’s 
throw from Bethany and could be easily 
reached in a few hours. Judith felt that now 
he was nearing the end of his long journeys. 
He had travelled the length and breadth of 
Palestine, but arrived just a little too late in 
each city where Christ was. The cause of 
his delay, though, in each instance, was an 
act of mercy. “ Did it pay? ” he asked 
himself. However, now he will reach Jeru¬ 
salem in but a few hours. He must not stop 
now for anything. He is too near his Master 
for any delay, however urgent. So on he 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


93 


travelled, though weary in body, very hope¬ 
ful in spirit. 

His meditation was suddenly interrupted 
by a tugging at his garment. Turning about, 
he looked into the agonized face of a beau¬ 
tiful girl. Her only and ragged garment 
scarcely covered her form; her hands and 
naked shoulders were badly bruised. Trem¬ 
blingly she attempted to hide herself within 
the broad folds of his full cloak. 

“ Daughter, what art thou doing here? ” 
he asked, withdrawing his cloak from her. 

‘ 4 Sir, ’ ’ she sobbed, 4 * I am fleeing from my 
master. ’ ’ 

“ Then thou hadst better return,” he 
answered, somewhat puzzled. 

“ Oh, do not say that,” she pleaded. “ I 
am a slave. My services are his, but nothing 
more.” 

A wave of compassion swept over Judith’s 


94 THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 

face as he beheld the trembling form of the 
beautiful maiden. 

44 They are coming, they are coming,” she 
screamed, as she huddled behind him and 
drew his cloak around her. 

In another instant three rough-looking fel¬ 
lows, with the expression of beasts on their 
faces, ran up to Judith. 

“ Where is she? ” demanded one of them. 

“ Who? ” asked Judith, innocently. 

“ That slave girl. We saw thee talk with 
her here.” 

Instantly Judith was surrounded. A fel¬ 
low with a whip in his hairy hand spied her 
bare feet. Tearing aside Judith’s cloak, he 
threw her violently on the ground. 

“ Ha, ha! ” he laughed hoarsely, “ now, 
my fine damsel, thou shalt pay for this. ’ ’ 

Mercilessly he brought the whip down on 
her bare shoulders: once, twice, thrice. Piti- 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


95 


fully she held out her hands to Judith, as 
she cringed beneath the blows of the whip. 
But what could Judith do f Thirty years ago 
he would have been more than a match for 
all three, but now—. Suddenly his hands 
rested on his money bag. An idea came to 
him. He grasped it. 

<l Men,” he began, “ will you sell this slave 
girl? ” 

“ Wilt thou buy her? ” asked the man 
with the whip in his hand. 

“ I will buy her,” Judith answered. 

“ Thou hast not money enough to buy 
her,” he answered. 

“ But what is your price? ” asked Judith. 

The men grouped together for a hasty con¬ 
sultation. 

Judith glanced at the trembling maiden, 
then at the three ruffians. “ My God! ” he 
said to himself, “ I must redeem her.” 


96 THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 

‘ 4 Art thou willing to accept five talents in 
gold, for her? ” asked Judith. 

“ Agreed,” quickly responded the man 
with the whip. 

“ Now tell me about thyself,” asked Ju¬ 
dith, when they were alone. 

“ Sir,” began the maiden, with tears of 
joy gushing from her eyes, “ my father was 
indebted to Herod three hundred shekels of 
silver, and could not pay it. Herod threat¬ 
ened to put him in prison unless he paid the 
utmost farthing. If he had done so, my 
mother and six children would have starved, 
so I offered to be sold into slavery that the 
debt might be redeemed. It was the only 
way. My father could have redeemed me 
in another year. Now my master sold me to 
these ruffians, and I could stand their cruelty 
no longer, so I fled. If thou hadst not been 
here to redeem me, I fear it would have gone 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


97 


hard with me. But thou must go home 
with me, for I fear they will pursue me and 
deny that I was redeemed. ” 

“ Where dost thou live?” asked Judith. 

“ Across the Jordan; it is only two days’ 
journey by beast,” she replied. 

Judith hesitated. He looked towards Jeru¬ 
salem. His brow knitted. He looked at the 
defenceless damsel, and the path of duty 
seemed clear to him. Heaving a sigh, he said, 
“ I will see thee home safely.” 

“ May Jehovah bless thee. May the bless¬ 
ings of the God of our fathers be with thee. 
May Heaven’s richest reward be thine. May 
God graciously smile upon thee.” These 
were some of the parting w^ords spoken by 
the thankful parents as they kissed his 
garments. 

“ Is this the Bethany that I saw a few 
days ago? ” Judith asked himself as he 


98 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


passed through the city. “ But why is it 
so mournful, so quiet, so solemn? Where is 
all the rejoicing concerning the Christ? Has 
He failed in the establishment of His King¬ 
dom? ” 

Judith, not wishing to waste time inquir¬ 
ing, immediately pressed on to Jerusalem. 
Within a few hours he entered the gates of 
the Holy City. 

“ What seemeth to be the trouble? ” he 
asked himself continually, as he walked 
towards the Temple. “ It seemeth to me as 
though the people had seen a ghost /’ 

“ Judith, Judith! ” called a voice behind 
him, mournfully. 

Judith turned about. “ Jason,” he called 
out, “I am much pleased to see thee. But 
tell me, what hath occurred, why is every¬ 
body so sad? Is not the Christ here? 99 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


99 


‘ 4 Then thou art only a stranger here ,’ 1 said 
J ason. 

“ That I am,” responded Judith, “ but 
tell me what hath occurred? ” 

“ The Master was crucified yesterday, 
Judith.” 

“ What! ” shrieked Judith, “ dost thou 
mean to say that He is crucified ? The 
Christ of God, the Anointed One, the King 
of Israel, the Son of God who healed the sick 
and raised the dead, crucified? I cannot be¬ 
lieve it.” 

“ Yea, Judith,” said Jason, feelingly, 
“ the Chief Priests and Elders delivered 
Him to Pilate, and He was sent to the cross. 
Oh, it was an awful day, Judith, an awful 
day. The veil of the Temple was rent in 
twain, the sun did not shine, and some of 
the dead arose and were seen of many. Ju- 


100 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


dith, it was an awful day when the Christ 
was crucified.” 

“ Crucified yesterday,” Judith repeated 
slowly; “ then I am immortally too late, a 
day too late again.” 

The struggle was over. His pursuit was 
vain. He had travelled from Bethlehem to 
Bethsaida and from Bethsaida back again to 
Jerusalem, but all in vain. Now that there 
was no further need of strength, now that 
his journeys were over, he instantly collapsed. 
He had run his race in life and failed be¬ 
cause he staid at home by the “ stuff,” 
because he stopped too long by the way to 
do too many deeds of mercy. 

“ Jason,” he called, “ there is no longer 
need that I live. There is nothing for me to 
live for now. I have been too late, too late, 
a day too late. Reach hither thy hand under 
my girdle and take my money bag. It be- 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


101 


longs to David ben Saul, my master, but do 
thou use it as I have done, in deeds of mercy. 
Jason, the dream of my youth hath perished. 
I was not a disciple of the Christ, even 
though David prophesied I should be. Ah, 
now I fully understand the meaning of that 
dream of long ago.” 

It is said that few men have died so peace¬ 
fully and triumphantly as Judith. For ac¬ 
cording to eyewitnesses, he said he heard 
music and singing and kind voices whisper¬ 
ing to him. 

“ Jason,” he called, “ dost thou not hear 
what they are saying to me? ‘ Thou hast 
been faithful in that which was not thine, be 
thou ruler over much that is thine. ’ Hear, 
Jason, hear, the Master is speaking. What 
sayest thou, Lord? That I am a disciple of 
thine, that I did thy service by remaining 


102 


THE SHEPHERD OF THE EAST 


faithful to the lot of life that was mine? 
Then, thank God, I journeyed not in vain. 
David, thy prophecy is fulfilled.” 

Jason tells us that the last thing he remem¬ 
bers of Judith is that he raised his head 
towards the heavens and a beautiful smile 
spread over his face; then raising his hands 
as if to welcome an unseen visitor, he whis¬ 
pered softly, “ David, John, Ezra, the friends 
of my youth, we meet again.” 

In that place that men call Heaven, where 
every man is rewarded according to his 
merits, Judith shared the glory with his shep¬ 
herd friends who journeyed to Bethlehem, 
in doing homage to the Christ. 


/ 







Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process 
Neutralizing Agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: 







PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 
111 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Twp., PA 16066 
(412) 779-2111 
















